QUESTION: The Road Runners Club, the first American drag racing organization to speak of (as far as many fans of the sport are concerned) began racing in the dry lakebeds of Southern California in what year?A). 1937B). 1949C). 1953D). 1959ANSWER BELOW

We here at the American Treasure Tour blog do hope you enjoyed your weekend, and used the opportunity to visit the actual tour on Saturday. Remember, everything we discuss here in the blog is quite directly connected to the tour. The blog is a chance to explore items displayed in the collection more closely and in the comfort of your own home. Or while you're having dinner with friends. Or sitting in a car as a passenger - but never when you're driving. We hope that's obvious, but some people seem to forget. On Friday, if you recall, we were talking about remote control and its relation to Excaliber, our drag racing, battery-operated speedster that is a whopping two feet long.

When we left our story, remote control was still largely in its experimental phase. During WWI, both sides attempted to use rudimentary drones against their enemies with marginal success. Then, during the inter-war years, some companies were designing remote-controlled garage door openers and model airplanes. Unfortunately, the economic depression found little motivation in making advances, so most people focused on survival instead. World War II advances also came with destructive intent, and manifested in the form of remote-guided missiles. But, after the second world war, during the mid- to late-1950's, the important technology started to earn attention. Remote controls were developed for televisions that eventually became affordable, and by the 1960's, scale model cars, boats, and airplanes started to hit the market. 1966 was a very important year for lovers of remote control vehicles: the first scale cars were released for commercial purchase that year, made by the Italian company El-Gi (Elettronica Giocattoli). By the early-70's, American companies including Associated Electric, Thorp, and Delta got into the business with 1:8 scale cars. Of course, it has become hugely popular since then....

ANSWER: A). 1937. The NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) formed in 1951 and continues to this day.